Kinchillie, Roy Bridge
29th September 1879
To Charles Fraser MacKintosh Esqr. MP Inverness
Sir
As promised I now forward to you a statement of the history connected with the Mass stone near Cranachan and which is now placed on the low side of the road leading up Braeroy and at the point turning off to Cranachan.
History:
About 12 yards or so farther down the glen from where the stone now is and close to the Braeroy road, on the low side of the road, is the original place where the stone lay and is the place which was at one time (about 150 years ago) infested with ghosts to the fear and dread of all benighted travellers, and these ghosts were very troublesome and noisy when any one person passed by in the dark. The yelling and roaring of the ghosts terrified all. A story is told of one man; Angus Mor, from Bohuntin happened to be benighted up the glen, and on his way home he attempted to pass rather at a late hour, but just when at the Mass stone (so now called) the ghosts commenced their yelling and roaring but Angus came on and one company of the ghosts cried out “Let Angus Mor past” The other company cried “ No we will not let him past”
The company seemed equally divided on the question and Angus Mor said in gaelic that as they were equally divided that he would have the casting vote himself with those who were willing to let him past and then said he would pass and did so unmolested.
Through this and similar other instances the priest in the locality was called for to interfere in the matter to quell the noise and disturbances caused by the ghosts. So the priest, the Revd. John MacDonald went to the place through the day and on the stone now referred to therein said mass and the ghosts with their noise and disturbances were never never again seen or heard there.
The story as herein related was told to Mr Archibald MacDonald of Cranachan and his brothers by their father and as related was a story long before their father’s time. It is also commonly talked of by others.
Statement of recent events:
The floods in the burn undermined the bank and the stone rolled down some yards from its original place. The late MacKintosh and his younger brother tried to roll it back but the brae was too steep and they failed. This was the year about 1872. As the late MacKintosh and his Commissioner, C F MacKintosh Esqr. now MP, ordered it to be taken up and placed on the upside of the road immediately on the junction which leaves Braeroy road to go over to Cranachan. It was only placed here however till something more would be done to preserve and protect it and here it lay from 1872 till the 22nd September 1879.
On the 10th day of September 1879 W F MacKintosh in presence of Mr Alan MacDonald, new commissioner for the MacKintosh, McKay Esqr of Glengloy, and myself, expressed his wish that I would remove the stone to the side next to the River Roy on an eminence, in an angle between the Braeroy and Cranachan roads and to the low side of both. On the 22nd September 1879, I in company with the Messrs MacDonald of Cranachan ie Archibald, Alexander, Collin and Donald and Mr George McLaren from Roy Bridge Hotel at 6 o’clock pm commenced to remove the said stone from the upside of the road to the place as pointed out by Mr C F MacKintosh and the other gentlemen and after a good deal of fitting and levelling we completed the work in about an hour. And a bottle of the Messrs MacDonald, Cranachan of the pure Long John was drawn for the ceremony. The first bumper being poured over the stone after being set and was done by myself; and after the health of the MacKintosh and the gentlemen who are herein named as being interested about the removal of the stone for its future protection and a few selfish toasts amongst ourselves it was suggested that a fence should be erected on the low side to prevent the stone from being put again into the burn.
22nd September
James Hutton.
(The carving of the host and the chalice was added by D C MacPherson, Bohenie, 1838-1880 to perpetuate its sacred association).
.
